The AFL have released some key dates and concepts for the 2019 fixture and have asked clubs to provide their wish list by early August.

One thing is that there will probably be more Thursday night games and according to the writer less night games  for Carlton.

"Carlton also looks set to be phased out of Friday night games after surprisingly playing four of the prime-time fixtures this season, with AFL general manager of clubs Travis Auld confirming the League would again look to reward on-field performance when completing the 2019 schedule."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-19/afl-reveals-likely-key-dates-for-2019-fixture

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

The AFL have released some key dates and concepts for the 2019 fixture and have asked clubs to provide their wish list by early August.

One thing is that there will probably be more Thursday night games and according to the writer less night games  for Carlton.

"Carlton also looks set to be phased out of Friday night games after surprisingly playing four of the prime-time fixtures this season, with AFL general manager of clubs Travis Auld confirming the League would again look to reward on-field performance when completing the 2019 schedule."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-19/afl-reveals-likely-key-dates-for-2019-fixture

What a load of bollocks. They do what they want. Its a farce.

"......again look to reward on-field performance when completing the 2019 schedule....."

Again - like Carlton and StKilda getting prime time games gifted to them this year?

Pull the other leg.

Makes you wonder if it is about time to revisit the draw.

If the so called blockbusters keep growing the draw will become almost immutable.

BTW is the rule that the top 6? of 2018 play each other twice in 2019 etc still applicable or is it merely an aspirational goal.

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Makes you wonder if it is about time to revisit the draw.

If the so called blockbusters keep growing the draw will become almost immutable.

BTW is the rule that the top 6? of 2018 play each other twice in 2019 etc still applicable or is it merely an aspirational goal.

I agree Jim, the draw needs serious attention. Gone are the days of the fair draw where every team played each other at home and away, that’s when it was fair. The AFL has grown too quickly . I’m not sure how they’d ever fix it now with 18 teams. Maybe a two tier comp then top 4 of each play finals. It’s never happen though. I hate the fixture, it favours Collingwood and has for years and now Richmond, how could their draw be so easy after a flag? Makes ya wonder this whacky administration sometimes. Bring back Demetriou

I don't think people pay enough attention to the draw in the sense that it ensures that the less powerful clubs such as ourselves remain with little exposure.

Sure we have our blockbusters but really they promote Collingwood and Richmond as much as ourselves. We are in  a position of constant catch up.

Our double games this year were against Dogs, Saints, Crows , Cats and Suns so we cannot complain really about who we doubled up against. On the other hand it shouldn't be a lottery. (or perhaps it should be and the draw should genuinely come out of a hat.)

6 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

I don't think people pay enough attention to the draw in the sense that it ensures that the less powerful clubs such as ourselves remain with little exposure.

Sure we have our blockbusters but really they promote Collingwood and Richmond as much as ourselves. We are in  a position of constant catch up.

Our double games this year were against Dogs, Saints, Crows , Cats and Suns so we cannot complain really about who we doubled up against. On the other hand it shouldn't be a lottery. (or perhaps it should be and the draw should genuinely come out of a hat.)

Dogs won a flag in 2016 and many tipped to bounce back, Crows dominated last year and played off in a GF and Cats have been a powerhouse forever. I'm not complaining, but how do we not play WCE, GWS and SYD in the final 3 rounds when we haven't played them all year!!? Plus played the Bulldogs twice in 5 rounds?

I'd still like to see the change to 17 games home and away against the other teams, alternating home and away across two years, then after round 17 splitting the teams into the groups of 6.

We aren't going to get a 34 game season, this seems the fairest, providing that they can work out what happens with:

• Who gets home and away fixtures after round 17 (more a logistics and stadium management issue I suspect)
• How the positions on the ladder at the end of round 23 impacts draft position. It's pretty clear how the top 12 would sit... but you need to incentives winning in the bottom 6, without disadvantaging the basket cases at the bottom of the ladder.  
• Managing any fallout from double headers (QClash, Showdowns etc...) and placating the bigger clubs who insist on having double headers.  I think you can still facilitate Anzac Day, Queens Birthday clashes, and the marquee games easily enough...

If the AFL wants to have a fixture that is equal and unbiased, I can't see anything else out there that is anywhere close to this. I'd hate to see conferences introduced.

17 game season should be it. Alternate home and away each year. They shouldn't reward through the fixture just give everyone an even shot at the good timeslots.

This 17-5 concept they're going for is a farce and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Just now, Dr. Gonzo said:

17 game season should be it. Alternate home and away each year. They shouldn't reward through the fixture just give everyone an even shot at the good timeslots.

This 17-5 concept they're going for is a farce and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

won't be done though Gonzo, media commitments require x number of games, the cost hit to revenue would be massive.  Unless they sell a pre season comp, but no-one wants to see AFL-X. Still need to guarantee a fixture of 23 rounds plus finals... 

Actually AFL-X has not been mentioned in the 2019 fixture has it?   just the JLT??

 

20 minutes ago, Ouch! said:

won't be done though Gonzo, media commitments require x number of games, the cost hit to revenue would be massive.  Unless they sell a pre season comp, but no-one wants to see AFL-X. Still need to guarantee a fixture of 23 rounds plus finals... 

Actually AFL-X has not been mentioned in the 2019 fixture has it?   just the JLT??

 

What an absolute farce AFL X is/was. This is what frustrates me with Gil, why try stupid ideas when the issue lies in the main game, constant rule changes, rule of the week, interpretation city. He only has himself to blame.

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

17 game season should be it. Alternate home and away each year. They shouldn't reward through the fixture just give everyone an even shot at the good timeslots.

This 17-5 concept they're going for is a farce and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Expand the comp to 19 and have 18-6 and you play a team a second time every third year. Or even better 21 teams for a 20-10

I'd accept the 17-5 concept if the remaining five were random.

Not sure if you could run the five over 3 plus years to remove the randomness (is that a word?) . Admittedly there is still a luck element as to whether you play a team on the way up or down but that is there at the moment because of injuries and form to at least some extent.

5 hours ago, Ouch! said:

I'd still like to see the change to 17 games home and away against the other teams, alternating home and away across two years, then after round 17 splitting the teams into the groups of 6.

We aren't going to get a 34 game season, this seems the fairest, providing that they can work out what happens with:

• Who gets home and away fixtures after round 17 (more a logistics and stadium management issue I suspect)
• How the positions on the ladder at the end of round 23 impacts draft position. It's pretty clear how the top 12 would sit... but you need to incentives winning in the bottom 6, without disadvantaging the basket cases at the bottom of the ladder.  
• Managing any fallout from double headers (QClash, Showdowns etc...) and placating the bigger clubs who insist on having double headers.  I think you can still facilitate Anzac Day, Queens Birthday clashes, and the marquee games easily enough...

If the AFL wants to have a fixture that is equal and unbiased, I can't see anything else out there that is anywhere close to this. I'd hate to see conferences introduced.

why would you hate to see multiple conferences introduced? it actually makes the draw fairer

Edited July 20, 20186 yr by daisycutter

We play Anzac eve on a Wednesday night.

I hope we get a Thursday nighter the round before.

1 hour ago, daisycutter said:

why would you hate to see multiple conferences introduced? it actually makes the draw fairer

how do you determine who makes the conference.

When determined is it immutable like the NFL?

I can just imagine our conference... MFC, Dogs North and the Saints

Conference B: Pies, Tigers, Bombers and Carlton

6 hours ago, timbo said:

Expand the comp to 19 and have 18-6 and you play a team a second time every third year. Or even better 21 teams for a 20-10

I like this, It means my chances of getting onto an AFL list go up. Never mind I'm in my late 20s and have no footballing ability aside from being a pest of a small defender.

Edited July 20, 20186 yr by Chook

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

how do you determine who makes the conference.

 

a job for solomon, to be sure, to be sure

3 hours ago, daisycutter said:

why would you hate to see multiple conferences introduced? it actually makes the draw fairer

Firstly I hate the word 'conference' - first used in the contact of AFL by the US sports addict, Vlad.

But I could see fairness in having two 'divisions' or 'sections' or 'groups' based on the previous year's final ladder:  1,3,5,7,9,etc in one group and 2,4,6,8,etc in the other.  Play everyone in your group twice and in the other group once.  It would (according to my rudimentary maths) 27 rounds.

But of course fairness is an anathema to AFL HQ.   Keep the rich rich, and the poor dependent.

And regarding prime time allocations, given Gil's penchant for. high scoring, how about allocating them on the basis of the highest scoring teams of the completed H&A season?  Plenty for us and none for Carlton, GC$, Saints and Ross Lyon's boring mob.

The possible problem I see with the 17-5 scenario is that it may cause tanking claims again. Let's say Team 6 & 7 are equal points coming into Rd 17, Team 6 (for this example) has won on the Saturday, Team 7 needs to win by 36pts on Sunday to leap frog into 6th, would it be worth winning by 36 and going into the higher draw for last 5 games, or win by 20 and play against lower teams for last 5?

In the above scenario for example, if it's a close year like this year, it might be better to finish the 17 rounds in 7th, then play teams ranked between 7-12 for last 5, this may get you 5 wins instead of 2-3 and actually finish higher on the ladder for finals?

I am surprised people would be happy with a 17 round season. Given how much the AFL bow to the big clubs could you imagine how bad we would get screwed. I could see every second year 8 home matches 9 away games with two visits to WA, two Sydney away games and a visit to SA and know doubt a home game in the NT. Bring in an extra team and i would be all for it, 9 home games 9 away games players get a bye and after every second year its balanced. Not going to happen though.

9 minutes ago, trout said:

I am surprised people would be happy with a 17 round season. Given how much the AFL bow to the big clubs could you imagine how bad we would get screwed. I could see every second year 8 home matches 9 away games with two visits to WA, two Sydney away games and a visit to SA and know doubt a home game in the NT. Bring in an extra team and i would be all for it, 9 home games 9 away games players get a bye and after every second year its balanced. Not going to happen though.

tasmania!

we would not play in nt as a 17 round season model - every game would be a serious event, either home and away

it'd be rotated on a yearly basis

using next year and 2020 as an example...

2019
round 1: vs geelong at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 2: vs port adelaide at adelaide oval on saturday at 7:50pm (away)
round 3: vs sydney at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 4: vs gc17 at carrara on saturday at 4:40pm (away)
round 5: vs peptides at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 6: vs richmond at the mcg on wednesday at 7:50pm (away)
round 7: vs brisbane at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 8: vs gw$ at bankstown on saturday at 4:40pm (away)
round 9: vs carlton at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)
round 10: vs north melbourne at docklands on sunday at 1:10pm (away)
round 11: vs fremantle at perth stadium on sunday at 4:40pm (away)
round 12: vs collingwood at the mcg on monday at 3:20pm (home)
round 13: vs adelaide at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (home)
round 14: vs st. kilda at docklands on sunday at 1:10pm (away)
round 15: vs hawthorn at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (home)
round 16: vs meth coke at mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 17: vs footscray at docklands on saturday at 7:30pm (away)

now the times could be different but it could as as easily be flipped for the following year...

2020
round 1: vs geelong at  kardinia park on saturday at 2:10pm (away)
round 2: vs port adelaide at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)
round 3: vs sydney at the scg on friday at 7:50pm (away)
round 4: vs gc17 at mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 5: vs peptides at docklands on friday at 7:50pm (away)
round 6: vs richmond at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 7: vs brisbane at the gabba on saturday at 4:10pm (away)
round 8: vs gw$ at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 9: vs carlton at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (away)
round 10: vs north melbourne at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 11: vs fremantle at the mcg on sunday at 2:10pm (home)
round 12: vs collingwood at the mcg on monday at 3:20pm (away)
round 13: vs adelaide at the adelaide oval on sunday at 4:40pm (away)
round 14: vs st. kilda at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 15: vs hawthorn at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (away)
round 16: vs meth coke at perth stadium on saturday at 7:50pm (away)
round 17: vs footscray at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)

and you just continue with the same format forever and a day; you'd probably change what rounds you play, save for the sacrosanct timeslots - e.g. anzac eve (and by default a game against the peptides around that time period) and queen's birthday, plus i would love to have a traditional saturday afternoon match-up btw the two oldest teams in the competition to start each year

i still say the reason it WON'T ever happen, beyond the sheer loss of revenue for the afl, is cos of the showdown and derby more than anything...but really they're just part of the money as well!

8 hours ago, McQueen said:

We play Anzac eve on a Wednesday night.

I hope we get a Thursday nighter the round before.

.... and a Friday Game, prior to that one,  even if not Free2Air

 

2 Thursday night games, either side of the Anzac Eve match,,,  just for 2019 would work, I reckon.

14 hours ago, McQueen said:

We play Anzac eve on a Wednesday night.

I hope we get a Thursday nighter the round before.

I’m assuming our Anzac eve match next year would be the opening game for the round. If so, we wouldn’t need to play Essendon the week after like the last two years. 

The Melb V ESS fixture and possibly a Coll V Rich could be played on Thursday/Friday night the week before. 

9 hours ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

tasmania!

we would not play in nt as a 17 round season model - every game would be a serious event, either home and away

it'd be rotated on a yearly basis

using next year and 2020 as an example...

2019
round 1: vs geelong at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 2: vs port adelaide at adelaide oval on saturday at 7:50pm (away)
round 3: vs sydney at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 4: vs gc17 at carrara on saturday at 4:40pm (away)
round 5: vs peptides at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 6: vs richmond at the mcg on wednesday at 7:50pm (away)
round 7: vs brisbane at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 8: vs gw$ at bankstown on saturday at 4:40pm (away)
round 9: vs carlton at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)
round 10: vs north melbourne at docklands on sunday at 1:10pm (away)
round 11: vs fremantle at perth stadium on sunday at 4:40pm (away)
round 12: vs collingwood at the mcg on monday at 3:20pm (home)
round 13: vs adelaide at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (home)
round 14: vs st. kilda at docklands on sunday at 1:10pm (away)
round 15: vs hawthorn at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (home)
round 16: vs meth coke at mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 17: vs footscray at docklands on saturday at 7:30pm (away)

now the times could be different but it could as as easily be flipped for the following year...

2020
round 1: vs geelong at  kardinia park on saturday at 2:10pm (away)
round 2: vs port adelaide at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)
round 3: vs sydney at the scg on friday at 7:50pm (away)
round 4: vs gc17 at mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (home)
round 5: vs peptides at docklands on friday at 7:50pm (away)
round 6: vs richmond at the mcg on friday at 7:50pm (home)
round 7: vs brisbane at the gabba on saturday at 4:10pm (away)
round 8: vs gw$ at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 9: vs carlton at the mcg on saturday at 2:10pm (away)
round 10: vs north melbourne at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 11: vs fremantle at the mcg on sunday at 2:10pm (home)
round 12: vs collingwood at the mcg on monday at 3:20pm (away)
round 13: vs adelaide at the adelaide oval on sunday at 4:40pm (away)
round 14: vs st. kilda at the mcg on sunday at 1:10pm (home)
round 15: vs hawthorn at the mcg on sunday at 3:20pm (away)
round 16: vs meth coke at perth stadium on saturday at 7:50pm (away)
round 17: vs footscray at the mcg on saturday at 7:50pm (home)

and you just continue with the same format forever and a day; you'd probably change what rounds you play, save for the sacrosanct timeslots - e.g. anzac eve (and by default a game against the peptides around that time period) and queen's birthday, plus i would love to have a traditional saturday afternoon match-up btw the two oldest teams in the competition to start each year

i still say the reason it WON'T ever happen, beyond the sheer loss of revenue for the afl, is cos of the showdown and derby more than anything...but really they're just part of the money as well!

You might be right about no games in the NT but I have no faith in the AFL to come up with a fixture such as yours, the minnow clubs like the Dees would get shafted wherever possible. I highly doubt there is another serious sporting comp in the world where you have half the teams having an extra home match compared to the other half, it just can’t  and won’t happen.